An increasing body of literature from the U.S. and across the globe has linked shoreline development
with reduced habitat quality in the littoral zones of lakes and ponds. In the Lake Champlain Basin and
throughout the region, there is rising concern over the degradation of lake littoral zones resulting from
shoreline development. While other states in the New England have adopted shoreline protection
regulations, there are no statewide rules or regulations in Vermont or New York restricting the nature or
proximity of shoreline development above mean high water. In response to ongoing littoral zone
degradation in the absence of statewide regulations, the Vermont Department of Environmental
Conservation (VTDEC) has made substantial efforts to research this topic. Various VTDEC studies on
inland lakes in Vermont and Maine highlight the sensitivity of the littoral zone to adjacent development,
and the importance of buffer regulations in mitigating impacts.